Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Does anyone know if it is physically possible to scope the lung of a living snake...I'm not sure how small the smallest scope is, if anything like that has been attempted, or if it's just too risky under anesthesia...

Probably the only way right now to document the lesions will be necropsy. If anyone has necropsy reports reporting lesions in the lungs, Brian and I would like to know!

thanks!

I don't doubt that scopes are available that are plenty small enough to easily traverse the long, narrow esophocus, after all, they have some that easily commute through veins to photograph arterial clogs. I would think it might be good to incorporate a camera such as this to the ultra thin, breathing tube/oxygen pump that I am mentally designing with the intention of being able to save highly congested and asphyxiating pythons.

>>Does anyone know if it is physically possible to scope the lung of a living snake...I'm not sure how small the smallest scope is, if anything like that has been attempted, or if it's just too risky under anesthesia...
>>
>>Probably the only way right now to document the lesions will be necropsy. If anyone has necropsy reports reporting lesions in the lungs, Brian and I would like to know!
>>
>>thanks!
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It isn't "Ideas" that fail or succeed,... it is the "Sytstems" which are instilled to launch and sustain the idea that either fail or succeed.>[Me.]

You know, I didn't even think of the work they've done with scopes inside veins and arteries. DUH! It only makes sense that one small enough to pass the trachea of a burm (especially these big ones) exists.

The only ones I've been around were used on horses and are quite large. Anyhow, I wonder if any of the vets/universities/zoos that have studied RIs in boids have scoped their lungs...I'm sure it's a procedure you'd have to do under anethesia, and if, so how were they able to scope and intubate, considering the extremly narrow opening of the trachea? I'm intrigued....